Author Eileen Dreyer posted this on her Facebook page recently. I commented that this was especially apropos, as I've recently taken all the books down from my library because I'm having built-in bookcases done this week. There are boxes of books in storage and piles of books scattered all around my home.
No chance of my being murdered in my bed, as it's virtually surrounded by books.
I think the front door is sufficiently booby trapped.
Which brings us to the title of this post - Do You Get Books? If you're a voracious reader, an author, historian or a bibliophile, then you get books. I get books. Hubby does not get books.
"Do you really need all these books? Can't you weed out some of them?"
"Yes. No."
Honestly, get rid of them? They're like children. How would one decide? Why should one have to?
Then there are the people who have no conception of what a specialist library is. I told a friend that I had to empty out my bookshelves and that it was a massive job as I have over 600 books.
"Yeah," she said. "I have alot of paperbacks, too."
"No, no. These are reference books. Hardback. Some from the 19th century."
"Oh," she said. "Maybe you could give some to Goodwill."
Sigh. Obviously, she doesn't get books.
Personally, I need to live surrounded by books. I refer to them. I re-read them. I browse them. I like to look at them. I love them. And the odd antique. Like my Victorian stuffed pheasant.
Strangely, Hubby has never complained about the pheasant.
He does complain about my 'hoarding.'
"You're a hoarder."
"How can you say that? I'm not a hoarder."
"Look at all these books. Hoarding."
"No, it's a collection of books, otherwise known as a library."
"Hoarder."
"Library."
"Hoarder."
Do you get books? If so, do leave me a comment. Preferably something pithy that I will be able to use against Hubby when next we argue about my books. And we will.
Labels: Kristine Hughes
